Adjustable template



Oct. 7, 1952 E. E. FRISK ADJUSTABLE TEMPLATE 2 SHEETS -SHEET 1 Filed May 14 1951 FIG. I

INVENTOR. ERlK E. v FRISK AGENT Oct. 7, 1952 E. E. FRISK ADJUSTABLE TEMPLATE 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed May 14 1951 FIG. 5

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. ERIK E. FRISK AGENT Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED STATES harem OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE TEMPLATE Erik 1:. Frisk, Duluth, Minn.

Application May 14, 1951, Serial No. 226,211

2 Claims. 1

and judge when he has substantially the original shape returned to the body. If only one side of the body is dented, the repairman usually will take a piece of stifi paper or the like and, by the out and try method, he will make a crude tem plate from the undamaged side of the car and use it to give an indication of the correct contour for the repair of the damaged side. These templates, of course, are only good for one given point on a body, and a new template must be made for each different reading or pattern desired. Because of the tedious work required in making these out templates, the number of templates made and used are few, as they add materially to the cost of the repair work.

There have been many adjustable contour meters invented and patented; however, these patented devices have not come into common use, at all, and are not used at present in the auto body repair work. These devices have certain structural or functional limitations and disadvantages, some of which are as follows: they are too bulky, too expensive to manufacture, too inconvenient to handle, they cannot easily be formed to a given contour without having such contour available to provide the impression, and they are not versatile.

It is, therefore, one of my principal objects to provide an adjustable template for use in auto body repair work and the like which is very versatile and convenient to use, whereby repair costs may be reduced materially and workmanship may be improved materially.

Another object is to provide anadjustable template which Will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and sell, and which will not be bulky or inconvenient to handle.

Another more specific object is to provide an adjustable template having a plurality oi reciprocable fingers which are normally biased in an outward position, whereby the device may be readily cocked or set for taking a contour impression in a most convenient manner.

Another object is to provide individual locking means for each of the fingers, whereby they may 2 I. be locked into any desired dividually.

Still another object is to provide meansto readjusted position inlease all of said locking means simultaneously to cock or set the device for taking a contour impression.

Another object is to provide means for releasing each of said locking means individually if desired. 1 Another object is to provide graduations on each of the fingers, whereby a chartmay be provided on which the relative reciprocable settings of each of the fingers are listed for a contour setting for certain given points on a given car make and model, thereby making it possible to-set thetemplate to a given contour from a chart when a pattern is not availablafor example, whenboth sides of'a body are damaged.

Another object is to provide means for pivot ally connecting two of my templatestogether,"

) These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent as invention proceeds. I

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this invention:

I Figure 1 is a broken side elevational view, partly in section, showing two of my templates 'secured in end to end relationship.

Figure 2 is a perspectiveview illustrating one I use of my invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevational viewof an auto mobile door showing how my templates may be used to advantage. j

Figure 4 is an enlarged view showing the interior construction of theinvention.

' Figure 5 is a sectional View on the line 55,

Figure 4, with the body assembled.

Figure 6 is an enlarged end View Of the hinge for connecting two of my templates. g

In the drawings, the reference numerals !-'-2 indicate the body member of my device, which is preferably made in two parts, Hand 2, which are" the description of the sheet metal liner I mounted therein so that a snug mounting is provided for the fingers, whereby the fingers may reciprocate freely in the lined chambers at all times as desired.

The fingers 4 are preferably hollow, as at 8, to 5 receive one end of an expansive spring 9 which biases the finger in an outward position at all times, the opposite end of the spring 9 being butted against a closure strip in which extends along thesedge .Bofi 'thezlbody I-2 'and...closes-one, 10

end of a1l"tlie chambers3, as shown: The inner end of the fingers have a projection or lug II thereon which serves to limit the distance towhich the fingers may be extended-.from.-. the

body member, a stop l2 for the lug H being provided on the liner 1 to establish the desired limit' to which the fingers may be extended...

As will readily be seen, all of the fingers will normally be held in their outermost extended position. It is desired, however, to look some or all. of thefingers in some. partially extendedposb tion, according to a contour or immersiontorbev taken :ormade. Tocaccomplishs. this .end, I; have providedra; chamber. l 3..-which communicates. with;

andextendslaterally from. each of. the, cham-. 25.

bers 3 adjacent the edge 5 of the body,l-2., thechambers. l 3., preferably being-provided witha liner. l t-which isapart of. the. liner 'l of. the chamber I3, as shown. Within each of the chambersl3-acam l5.-is:pivotallymounted, as-atv it, 3

thecam beingbiased byaspring H into. engagementwiththe finger. 4-; as. at [8. of the .camwhich engages the. cam is preferablyprovided with:a friction :facing l9, suohasrubber; sorthat itzwill firmly frictionallyengage the 5;

fingergand holditinpl-ace; itbeing noted that the ams l 5.1816250 placed: and; so. biased that .the surface I 9 is constantlyag-ainst the-fingers 4 and th;e -.-pressure;.of the: spring 9 on; the fingers. .4- is againstthe'cam. and serves totightenthe grip onzthe cam..on.-the finger;v to insureazfirm holding. of; the: fingenin. any adjusted. position.

It will readily be seen, however, that, thefim gers 4; may be..-pushed,1 inwardly; very easily by merely. applyingpressure;againsttheir outerends 20, as such pressure will free the finger from the; grip; of thercam and; permit the; finger to. be moved inwardly. As soon as inward pressure andsmovemcnt-of the: finger stops, however, the

cam :l-5-..im'm.ediatelygrips theifinger and holds it? securely in the positiorritiwas adjustedto.

Bythisarrangement, it is possibletohold the template adjacent an object, such as an auto. body, from which a. contour. impression. is desiredrwitha the-- tips. or ends. 20.- of the fingerspointed toward the contour to be: measured, and, by'pressing the: template inwardly toward the object, the fingers-tips. 20 .will engage the 1 object. Continued inward pressure will push the fingers inwardly in their pocketsor chambers 3 a pre- 6O:

determined distance in accordance. with the relative engagement of tthecontour. (SeeFigs. 1. and 2;). The instant the. inward movement of the V fingers-stops, they; are. clamped in that exact-po-- sition-by; the 'cams l5-.and the-templatezzmay be mostsextendedposition. Thisis accomplished. 7

The surface by a knob or wheel 2| carried on the shaft 22 which has a gear 23 thereon, as shown. The gear 23 engages a rack 24 formed on the longitudinal slide release bar 25 which extends the length of the body member and is reciprocable longitudinally therein. The slide release bar 25 has a plurality of spaced release lugs 26 extending therefrom, one adjacent each of the cams I5, and the cams each have a projection 21 thereon which is positioned oppositei-vthe lug-523; so as to be'engagea'ble thereby whenthebar is moved. As may be readily seen from Figure 4, the rotation of knob 2| in the direction of the arrow 28 will causestherrelease bar 25 to move in the direction of the arrow 29, and each of the lugs 26 will engage' thetprojections 21 of their respective adjacenttcams andmove the cam away from the fihger'it holds, thereby releasing the fingers to returmto their outer or extended position. The device is thereby quickly made ready for re-use desired.

Ithasrbeen shown how. allot the fingersmaygbe: set to a contour, or released;simultaneously; It. is.also desired to. set or:re1ease the. fingers -:individually, To. permit individual. setting ofrthe: fingers. 4, I have-provided a. series. of .graduations: 30- Quins-fingers... By providing. these-gradua.-.- tions,..I make. it possibleto .set my.templ a-te:-from= a. table. or chartlwhichmay be-made up to. indiecate settings .for adjacent fingers when a.-pa-rticu-.- larr contour isdesi-red... For example; for. a: given: makeandlmodel-.ofsautomobile; certain body con-.- tours at strategic. pointsmay beata-kenaby mygden vice and-the settings- 0t. the fingers recorded==in1 a table or. ohartso. that one :need "not. have raw-patstern. from. which. to. make. his-- impression-1 eachtime he usesthe. templatenlleimaygo .to: the.- chart or.- table-andzset-cachfinger according to? thegraduations;

It mill-.readi-ly; be seen that-.eaclnof the-fingers; 4 .may bezsetindividuall-yybymerely; applying ward gpressure' and-.= movement thereto: untilv the; desired-graduation :setting; is reached. In make ing such hand-.1: settings,;,it is. possible-'- thatwne; might go beyond the proper. setting beforeistom pingthe inwa d-zmovement ofa? finger, and. in order: to.--eliminateathesneedafor releasing allioi: the. fingersandsstarting: over. again in such- :an: event, .I have. provided] an' .openingtfid ab'ove.. each; cam. I .5.-Whereby@ atsuitableztool-1 or: implement; such as .-a-;nail,: ,serelwdriver, or theolikeymayrbes insertedthrough the hOlEiOI opening 31 =.into::th'ec chamber: t3: andzlengagednagainst tth'ezac'anr: I 5 to release:.-its grip,- on thesfingenf Thereby; human:- errors :arereadilyrcorrectedtmost'iexpeditiously.

As amadditionalifeature, Ifh'ave provided' means whereby two or more units of my inventionrmay be connectedl'l to ether in' either" longitudinally alined or angularrelation, Wherebylong or angularlj relatedcontoursmay be measured, see F1gs 1 2; 3'*and"6f This means comprises ahinge. 32 *having spaced parallehwing, members. 33-33.. on each side thereof, the. wing memberspreferably li-aving; their. outer. ends. bentinwardly, as at 34;,whereb'y, they be.slid :into the-narrowchann'els 35adjacent eachrendzoi; eachotthei body 1 members. as shown; to a securely loin; two umts together. Screws. 3B- or... bolts may bes used.

0 to;fu11ther .securathe. units. together-.ifidesired of:

course...

Graduations deg-recs; are*preiera'bly, pros vided on thehinge 32,.as.shown,.-so-that twoade acent. units..=may :be. set: in .any; desired-angular relat1on,. see fig. 3, to. obtain. contour. impressions:

which would not otherwise be obtainable in any degree of accuracy.

It is to be understood that I have herein shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, and that my appended claims are not necessarily limited specifically thereto, but should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of v the prior art. 1 Having thus described my invention, what claim is:

1. A device for measuring contours compris ing a body member, a plurality of spaced substantially alined fingers reciprocably carried by said body, means biasing said fingers to normally extend in an outward position with one end thereof extending beyond said body, a cam mounted on said body adjacent each of said fingers, said cams being pivoted and biased in a position to nor mally engage said fingers and prevent outward movement of said fingers but to permit substan- 6 I being pivoted and biased in a position to normally engage said fingers and prevent outward movement of said fingers but to permit substantially free-inward movement thereof, and means forreleasing all of said cams simultaneously from engagement with their respective fingers, said means comprising a release bar reciprocably mounted longitudinally of said body adjacent said tially free inward movement thereof, and means for releasing all of said cams simultaneously from engagement .with their respective fingers.

2. A device for measuring contours comprising a body member, a plurality of spaced substantially alined fingers reciprocably carried by said body, means biasing said fingers to normally extend in an outward position with one end thereof ex-Y tending beyond said body, a cam mounted on said body adjacent each of said fingers, said cams 3Q" cams, a lug extending from said bar adjacent and .engageable with each of said cams, and means to reciprocate saidbar whereby said lugs engage said cams substantiallysimultaneously to move the, latter out-.of locking engagement with said fingers. v

; ERIK E. FRISK.

, RE EREivoEs CITED The following references are of record in the file, of thisfpatentz' r UNITED STATES PATENTS 

